[Rearing Stallion] Winds of Change:A Beggar's Coins [Closed]

[Senre]

Senre's frame tensed, and her fingers curled tightly around the glass, her eyes starring at the hand held out to her. " Um.. " Her fingers twisted to set down the fork on the plate, her other hand freeing the glass. Slowly her hand extends towards the hand waiting for her. She hesitated but took the Avalona's hand, lightly shaking it. She had managed to keep her hand from trembling, but pulled it back to her side quickly. Female's made her nervous, but she needed to break out of her shell, even if it was only a little. A politely friendly smile appears on her lips. "My name is Senre." She leaned into the bar counter, her eyes moving over Avalona to Ash'eny. "Did you hear that? My name is Senre, Ash'eny." She sounded as if she was mocking him, having heard what he said. She leans back against the chair, bringing the glass of water to her lips to take a drink.

[John Vicari]

Let me tell you a tale...

It was off for John to have a day where he could do whatever he wanted. He was the type of person that was always stuck inside during the day and night in the local shop called The Undeniable Interests which was known for finding almost anything for a price even artifacts from the Valterrian some said. Yet John never did tell anyone unless they were looking and that was if he was in a good mood to talk and give them a deal. Yet most came for books yet even books held things most did not know of such as books of magic, lores and even history. Most of what they brought were second hand copies due to few truly wanted to know the price of real books. Yet he just moved towards the Rearing Stallion, a simple middle class tavern that only dealt with food and drinks. His light blue eyes scanned the room as he closed the doors behind him. A slight limp was seen in his right side yet that was another common thing with the young human. In time he would get it healed but he needed a true healer from the gods for that. He did not take one of the main seats but one of the other tables. Most the people were in here were odd types in his view. Travelers, people with night type jobs or your odd job person. Travelers were the most common type. John wore just a simple cotton pair of pants and tunic that were of a darker shade then brown almost black. The boots were made out of a dark leather black along with a pair of dark brown gloves were upon his hands. A simple outfit in most eyes which did work for him. As he took a seat he just waited for a barmaid to take his order which was just a basic meal and some ale. Nothing fancy yet his eyes did not even take in the figures in detail upon the area. If he did he would had seen someone he saw just earlier in the season called Senre.

Do come again for another tale...

[Avalona]

The girl who took Avalona's hand seemed nervous. Ava almost thought that she would just let her sit there with her hand outstretched, for regardless of her teasing threat Ava was not patient enough to keep her hand there all night. Finally though, the girl hesitatingly shook Ava's hand. It was refreshingly cool, most likely from the glass it had been wrapped around, and her fingers were as slender as the rest of her. After a moment, however, her hand fled quickly to her side. Avalona thought that was all she would be able to get from her, when the girl suddenly smiled.

"My name is Senre."....."Did you hear that? My name is Senre, Ash'eny."

Avalona's eyes widened, and a grin gradually crept up her face. Then, out of the blue she began to laugh. it was a musical laugh, a pleasant sound to ones ears, yet it was not the kind you'd hear at the other side of the room. Ava tried to collect herself, stifling her mouth with a hand as her shoulders shook occasionally. "Senre", she said finally, "A person who acts like a lamb until she bites." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled. Suddenly she turned serious. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend! I thank you for the good laugh, though, Senre." Senre, she repeated to herself, and then turned her observant eyes on her, studying her face. It fits., she thought. Realizing for once that she was staring, Ava forced her gaze away, and looked up at the waiter handing her breakfast to her. She gave him a small smile, and then turned to Ash'eny. "Thank you by the way for the meal."

[Ash'eny]

A large grin quickly spread across Ash'eny's face as Senre responded to Avalona's question, and with hostility. No, not towards Avalona herself, but to Ash'eny! It was not only spontaneous, but comical, simply because of how it was said. Ash'eny couldn't help but feel like he was in the presence of a child, which may not have been too far off. She was young, perhaps still in the stage where her childlike ways have yet to be shed from her. "The pleasure is all mine. I'm sorry it was so unbearable to be this welcoming earlier." Ash'eny grinned to himself again as he turned back to his plate of food, Avalona's own plate had arrived by now. Ash'eny took this moment to slide a few silver Miza over towards the server, a tip. "She hasn't particularly bitten hard yet though, thank goodness for my fingers too. I'd hate to lose another." Ash'eny shrugged lightly as Avalona thanked him, again. It was a few too many times in his opinion, once was surely enough he thought, but what was the difference. She was being kind, and was thanking him. "I have considered you thankful." Ash'eny smiled as he slowly reached for his mug. "Now I have no excuse as to not eat." Ash'eny chuckled faintly as he watched a figure pass by. Nothing too particular about the man, had a faint limp in his step, but besides that, Ash'eny didn't feel much of a need to bother/talk to/befriend the guy. He was feeling generous, but there were many people in the Stallion, to befriend them all would be more work than worth, and he was intent on enjoying his good mood while it lasted. For surely it would not last. "You are welcome, Ava." He lifted the mug of beer to his lips and drank from it as he glanced down the bar a ways, there were a few faces, none he knew, and the limping man was only a few seats away. It felt nice not having to worry about Syliras's Knights breathing down your neck.

[Avalona]

"She hasn't particularly bitten hard yet though, thank goodness for my fingers too. I'd hate to lose another."

Avalona blinked slowly, her mind taking it's time processing Ash'eny's words. He's lost a finger before?, she thought, sweeping her eyes down his arm and to his right hand. One, two, three, four, five, she counted mentally, All there. Ava looked for his other hand. Unfortunately for her, she was on his right, so she couldn't really see the left side of him. She saw Ash'eny's left arm ,though, and from that could guess where his hand was. Reaching out, and completely ignoring his personal space, Avalona gently picked up his hand and held it up in front of her. The first thing she noticed was the fact that her hand seemed so much smaller compared to his. It was not really surprising, she was petite and he was a man after all, but it still made her feel a little bit weak. Ava didn't like it. She felt suddenly that her armor could easily be shattered, like glass. Pulling herself away from those unsettling thoughts, Ava turned her attention back to Ash'eny's hand. The pinky was missing. "How--" She caught herself before she could finish the sentence. With these new people she had met she was trying to be very careful about what left her mouth. Some of her habits, though, were more difficult to control. It took Avalona a moment to realize that she had completely popped Ash'eny's personal bubble. Woops. Letting go of him like his touch burned her, Ava opened her mouth to apologize and then closed it again. She was too embarrassed to speak. In fact, she could feel her whole face heat up--the sure sign that she was blushing. Rapidly turning her attention to her breakfast in front of her, Ava grabbed her fork and stabbed a piece of meat, popping it into her mouth. Mentally she prepared herself for the worst, setting up the defenses to her heart so that she wouldn't get hurt.

[Senre]

Senre returned to picking at her meal, listening to the pair as they spoke, but Avalona's action caught her attention. She quietly watched her take Ash'eny's hand and examined it. Her hand moved over her mouth as she watched how the female retreated, a faint giggle raising from her. She found it funny. After only a few moments of giggling her attention shifts to Ash'eny. "Say.. How did you lose that finger?" She smiled, if Avalona couldn't manage to ask, then she sure as hell would. Senre's eyes shifted off towards the direction Ash'eny's had wandered to before Avalona's commotion. She blinked a few times at the man who has just came in, curiosity consuming her eyes. "John?"

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny was staring up at Avalona (since he was sitting and she was not) as she was actually counting his hands, or more specifically, the small appendages that were attached to his hands, the fingers. Ash'eny was actually a little amused, smiling briefly as she seemed very engrossed at solving this mystery. Did she assume he was lying or making it up? Well, he was technically a stranger, he had neither reason to lie nor not to. But, his finger was never really something he thought to keep hidden. Sure, he'd rather have the pinkie back, grabbing things was just a tiny bit more difficult without one, but he had grown accustomed to it. It was over a dozen years ago after all. Not a bright day in his life, gruesome really, one of the worst. Ash'eny couldn't help, however, the faint awkwardness that surrounded him as she picked up his hand and examined it. A glance or two could have told her the pinkie was missing, but she seemed almost preoccupied. This eerie silence went on for several moments before Avalona almost asked about what happened to him. It was fairly obvious that she was curious, since she said 'how' before recoiling and hiding herself in her own thoughts. Ash'eny could tell this situation was going from good, to awkward, to bad, to worse, and he didn't even like the first transition, much less the ones the followed in suit. As Avalona sat there, intently trying to hide her embarrassment, shame, or discomfort in her meal, Ash'eny pondered his options. One, let the girl, who had been kind and fun up till this point, sit there in her newly acquired cloud of moroseness. Two, be aggressive, use logic, tell her how ridiculous it was to feel ashamed or introverted all of a sudden. No, that would be foolish. And three, and the one he settled on, telling the story of the missing finger, it almost sounded like a good one to him. Ash'eny finished off the rest of his beer and gave a quick sigh (which was his response to Senre asking the question, and he hoped it wouldn't bother Avalona more), motioned for a second mug, and slowly spun around in his chair to face Avalona and Senre. "I was born and grew up in Sunberth. My parents weren't exactly great parents, but due to the situations at hand, I could hardly blame my father. My father, that's a different story, one I don't feel like discussing just yet. My mother raised me until I was eight years old, and then I was unofficially adopted by a gang of boys who truly thought they could own that place, Sunberth I mean. My mother didn't like it, and I absolutely hated the idea, but she knew that I would probably grow up faster, become independent sooner if I was on my own. I want to believe that's what she thought and hoped for, but I feel that she gave up on raising me alone. These boys pretty much forced me in, I knew they would torture me, possibly kill me if I didn't accept their offer, so I became one of them so that I could have protection. I made a few friends, but they all changed at some point, changed, ran away, or died that is. Anyway, I was in this little gang for a few years, and when I was ten years old, only four days short of turning eleven, I was watching these men gamble with dice. It was a simple game, but I just sat there watching from the sides like I often did. That day, I was actually given a gold miza, the first of my very own, and was required to gamble with them. They had full intention for an innocent game or two at first, but my luck that day was... uncanny. I won some six or seven games, maybe more, each at double or nothing. There was one guy who was there, an old miner named Huck who was about as crazy as they come. For him it was more than money, it was pride I guess, but deep down I believe he just wanted to hurt me. After I failed to lose a game for so many times, they took me away, and Huck thought it was only fair if he played target practice with his pickax on my hand. I suppose I'm lucky he was such an incredible shot, the finger came clean off, or partially smashed off. I'm not too sure what happened after that, I think I passed out, but when I woke up, the gang was with me, had a shyke terrible bandage job on my four fingered hand. And, of course, it has never grown back." Ash'eny lifted his hand, facing the palm towards Avalona, and he wriggled the little pinkie knuckle, which was the closest thing he had to a finger. Ash'eny offered Avalona a smile as he placed his left hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Will you do me a favor? Don't be upset. I tend to absorb emotions easily." Ash'eny was somewhat joking, but he did hate to see girls cry. He had a soft spot for females, and not in the way that your typical horny teenage boy did, but he had a general desire to see that they were well treated, especially by themselves, which seemed the most common form of abuse to them. "I guess I could have saved the story until after you ate, hope your appetite isn't completely dead now." Ash'eny then looked specifically at Senre. "But yes, that is the story of Ash'eny's finger loss story. I know I'm not a great story teller or anything, but I promise it's true." Ash'eny didn't bother to mention the real good parts about how he was betrayed by his 'adopted family' or how they ridiculed him and he eventually ran away and lost his best friend in the process. The finger, it was traumatizing, but he could live with it, the rest was a bit more emotionally distressing to Ash'eny, and that he would not tell so easily. At least Senre seemed to have warmed up to him, if only a little bit. Enough to ask personal questions it seemed.

[Avalona]

Avalona waited for the retaliation. She had done something out of line, and fully expected to be ridiculed or insulted. Ava should have known better, these too had been very nice so far, and yet she doubted them. So, when Ash'eny started his tale she was a little surprised. Relief flooded through her and she dropped gratefully into her seat, listening with undisguised curiosity through his story. After he was finished, he placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling slightly.

"Will you do me a favor? Don't be upset. I tend to absorb emotions easily."

Avalona's eyes widened. What? Did he think she was going to start bursting into tears or something? How very unlikely. But those thoughts were quickly driven away when she suddenly became very aware of Ash'eny's touch. Slightly ashamed of herself, Ava realized that it had just been a kind gesture. He had probably been a little worried about her sudden mood change. Wanting to forget this incident as soon as possible, Avalona gave him a gentle smile and spoke.

"Thank you, but I'm not particularly upset--embarrassed certainly, but not upset. To be honest I thought that you would be angry or something. I tend to mess up first impressions with people, you see." Ava chuckled. She quieted, tracing the lines in the counter with the tip of her finger. "Thank you for sharing you story, by the way. I'm glad I got to learn more about you." Her eyes met his, and she wondered about all the things they had seen. Then, holding Ash'eny's gaze Ava added, "But I would probably rather die than join a gang." Deciding to be more open, Ava said afterwards, "They harassed me a bit when I was younger, you see. I'm afraid it's too personal to go into it at the moment, though."

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny watched Avalona as she explained herself, perhaps in attempt to justify her actions, or maybe an attempt to apologize without sounded too weak. Regardless of her intent, Ash'eny smiled and waved his hand in the air as if fanning away a foul stench. "Don't worry. I don't get angry with people. Anger leads to violence, and in my experience, I do not believe I have ever won a single fight of physical competition. I instead avoid it to the best of my ability." Ash'eny chuckled at himself as he admitted his cowardice, he did not seem the slightest bit embarrassed, which sometimes made him wonder if he was a true man by the standards of common folk. He'd rather run for his life than fight for it. Surely a man doesn't do that. He shrugged lightly and pushed his private thought away from himself. As his new mug of beer was delivered, and his previously drained mug sucked away into the abyss of the Rearing Stallion's kitchen, Ash'eny heard Avalona mention her opinion on the situation. She'd rather die than join the gang, she'd rather suffer the punishment rather than allowing herself to be forced within. Ash'eny turned his gaze to his beer for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. He didn't tell her about his personal story about the gang, nor his feelings for those kids, yet her judgement almost felt like a knife jabbing between his ribs. All those years with those kids and he detested them for so long, hated them, and all they did was treat him like shyke. Perhaps he should have died instead of join their ranks. "I understand. I don't ask you to talk about anything you don't wish to. Friends wouldn't force you to do something like that. Friends won't judge you by a mistake or unique personality quirk just because it's a first impression. If I depended on first impressions to get me through life, or even just to socialize in general, I'd never last. Much of my money comes from the generosity of those willing to part with it. Beggars don't often leave good first impressions." Ash'eny slowly lifted his mug and began to drink the beer, slowly, but consumed a large amount. Look at him, telling more and more of his story to somebody he just met so that he could simply make them feel better. Or was it for himself? Ash'eny hadn't really spilled his guts to anybody before, but who did he have that he could be honest with? No family around here, not that he loved or trusted them enough to talk to anyway. They abandoned him for the most part. There wasn't many people that would take his secrets of a double life to the grave for him. Being a thief was hard for him, not that he wasn't good, because he was, but the emotional conflict often tore him apart. Sometimes he just wondered how he even became addicted to the crime to begin with. "Well, this grim talk is starting to grab me. Let's change the subject."

[Avalona]

Ash'eny had gone quiet after her comment. Perhaps it had brought up some painful memories. A flash of guilt hit Avalona, and she was irritated with herself for speaking her mind at the wrong moment. Finally he spoke.

"I understand....." (OCC: too lazy to type the middle ) ...."Beggars don't often leave good first impressions."

So Ash'eny was a beggar. Interesting. Ava ran her eyes over the well-used, but not ratty, cloak. Well, everyone could use a bit of extra cash now and then, so she didn't really blame him. Heck, sometimes she thought she should try her hand at it herself, although Avalona wasn't really the type who invoked pity. Not to mention that begging could be a bit dangerous for women. She shrugged it off. Maybe her reaction wasn't typical, but Ava could hardly be described as normal. It was her personal rule to judge a person only after getting to know them, and Ash'eny had so far been a very pleasant person to talk to. Therefore, Avalona's opinion of him hadn't changed all that much. Actually, in her eyes she had just gotten to know more about him.

"Well, this grim talk is starting to grab me. Let's change the subject."

Great. Ava actually had to think of something interesting to say now. The phrase "nice weather we're having today" actually flitted briefly through her mind. She racked her brain for something else. Finally she sighed and leaned over the counter, stretching her back as her dress hugged her curves. Ava's red hair, down today, contrasted nicely with the garment she had on. It was deep green, but a little bit plain, and if one looked carefully they might discover a small paint stain somewhere. Not exactly the nicest thing she owned, but it was comfortable to say the least. Avalona glanced down at her sleeve, thinking, and spotted a very small drop of black paint. She smiled, and felt a question come into her mind.

Propping her head up with her hand on her cheek, much like the way she had when Ava first spoke to Ash'eny, she asked, "So what is something that you particularly like doing?" Then thinking that perhaps it was time to share a little bit about herself she added, "I'm usually painting or sketching something. Although, as of late I've had no inspiration whatsoever."